1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an adaptive streaming service, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving broadcast content using an adaptive streaming service.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, due to an increase in the use of on-line content, the importance of seamless content delivery has increased significantly. More attention is now concentrated on adaptive streaming technology in which a bit rate of content is smoothly or adaptively changed during its delivery depending on the change in available transmission bandwidth and/or performance of a user device. This adaptive streaming technology optimizes the bit rate by analyzing the network environment of the user. Multiple standards organizations have discussed new transmission technology like the adaptive streaming, in which a user terminal selects unit content, segmented into small pieces based on a Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and plays it depending on the situation, allowing its user to enjoy the content seamlessly and without delay.
Internet Protocol (IP)-based convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting, which is a marketable new next-generation business model, has attracted attention as one of the next-generation market-leading technologies. Particularly, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), the largest pillar of Convergence of Broadcasting and Mobile Service (CBMS), is technology that can provide new services by recombining or combining the existing TV, voice, and data technologies. IPTV can also support interactive features, making it possible to create a variety of business models and services. Compared with the existing service provision technology specialized for limited terminal environments, this IPTV technology may provide its services to fixed-type terminals, such as set-top boxes, PCs, and TVs, and mobile-type terminals, such as cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in both a wired network and a wireless network (or a broadcast network) regardless of the network type. Thus, it may be possible to provide and apply the same services in various different environments and enabling the service providers to develop a variety of new services taking various environments into consideration.